Rooted 10 – Make Every Effort

He asked that as we look to Your Word, You would teach us and correct us. Even for those who are here, that You would save us with the truth that lives there. In fact, we win. We are so grateful for all the things You have done for us and for who You are to us. It is in Your Holy name that we pray these things.

Good morning, everyone. Happy October! It’s hard to believe. Would you take out your Bibles and open them with me to Second Peter, chapter 3? If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of the ushers will bring you one. Second Peter 3 is right near the end of your Bible. Open to the last book, Revelation, and turn to the left; you will find it just a few small books back.

We are going to begin reading today at verse 10. In Second Peter, chapter 3, verse 10, the Apostle writes, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up."

Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness? Looking for and hastening the coming day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat.

Nevertheless, we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found in Him in peace, without spot and blameless.

Consider that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation, as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you. He speaks in all his letters of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

You, therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.

Father, would You give us wisdom and understanding as we look into Your Word? As we think on these words today, I pray, God, that we would not only gain...

Knowledge and understanding are important, but we should also see how these things apply to our lives and how to implement them this week. God, continue the work of transformation whereby, through the work of Your Spirit and the power of Your Word, You are making us more like You in our conduct. I pray that this would be the outcome as we reflect on these things. Speak to us, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name. And all those that agree said, "Amen." You can be seated.

This last week in Mexico City, Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and also the founder and CEO of Tesla Motors, stood before a very large group of people at a conference discussing space initiatives. For about 90 minutes, he talked about his goal and the goal of his company, SpaceX, to begin the work of colonizing Mars by the end of this next decade. He showed computer animations depicting a huge spaceship designed to send a hundred people at a time to Mars, along with their plans for building a colony of more than a million people on the red planet over the next half century to century.

It's a pretty far-out idea. I find this guy intriguing, so I follow some of the things he has to say because he is an interesting character. One thing you learn if you ever listen to him speak is that he is wholly and completely committed to his mission of getting people to Mars. This mission extends beyond just SpaceX; it also includes moving everyone away from fossil fuels with Tesla Motors. Additionally, he is the founder and chairman of a company called SolarCity, which aims to encourage a shift from current energy sources to renewable resources.

He is committed to this mission because, as you hear him speak, you find that he has a vision. He is a hundred percent convinced that the world we now experience will not always be as it is. He believes there will be some sort of transformation.

A cataclysmic event will take place here upon this planet. There have been, as he often says, extinction events in the past, and there is certain to be one in the future. This is why he is committed to the things he is trying to accomplish. He is absolutely certain that either by our own means, through climate change, we are going to destroy this planet, or some other event is going to happen that will cause this planet to be destroyed.

In one sense, you can say what you will about Elon Musk, and there are a lot of crazy things you could say about him. He has the absolute belief that Peter also presented here in this passage of Scripture. Point number one on your sermon guide, which is in your bulletins, is that the world as we know it will end. That is what he is convinced of. He is basing that conviction on different things than Peter was, but Peter was thoroughly convinced of this as well. So were the Apostle Paul, the Apostle James, and John. The church has believed this for 2,000 years, and many of you here in this room today believe this truth: that the world as we know it will end.

Peter says it like this: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." He goes on to say in verse 12 that the coming day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, will be on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Peter was convinced 2,000 years ago that there would one day be a sudden cataclysmic event wherein the world as we know it will cease to exist, which he referred to as the day of the Lord.

He was not the only person to refer to it as the day of the Lord. If you go back into the Old Testament and read through the works of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Amos, you will find that all these different prophets of old spoke of the coming day of God, just as Peter does here in this passage. Paul speaks of it as well, and Jesus prophesied about the very same thing. The world as we know it will end; it will not be as it has been. It has not been in the past as it is right now. There were times in the past when cataclysmic events took place that could also be referred to in this context.

The day of the Lord is a significant event. Things have not always been as they are, and they will not always be as they currently are because the day of the Lord will come. What exactly is the day of the Lord? As the Scriptures describe it, it is the day in which God intervenes in the realm of humanity for judgment. It is a day long prophesied about, a day that has been looked forward to for many centuries, even millennia, by many different people inspired by God to anticipate these events.

The day of the Lord will come, and it is that day in which the Lord steps into the realm of humanity for judgment. He did so thousands of years ago, as Peter referred to in the previous passage we looked at last week. This intervention is described in Genesis chapters six, seven, and eight, where we read about the flood of Noah. God surveyed all the things that were happening in the world at that time and determined that there was to be a judgment, a punishment. Thus, God brought that punishment by sending a global, worldwide flood, through which only Noah and his family, along with those on the ark with him, were spared.

However, God did promise a covenant at that point: He would never again destroy the world with a flood. This good news is found in Genesis chapter nine, where it states that the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. This was God's covenant, and He gave us a sign of that covenant—the rainbow in the sky—as a reminder to us and to Him that He would never again destroy the world with a flood.

But the day of the Lord will come. When will it come? That is always the question. Peter says here that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, meaning it will come suddenly and without warning. We do not know exactly when it will be, and anyone who tells you that they have pinpointed the time of the day of the Lord through some sort of Bible code or intricate system is either self-deceived or selling something, perhaps a little bit of both. Certainly, there have been people in the last twenty to forty years who have sold all kinds of books claiming to have pinpointed the time of the day of the Lord, and even at this moment, there are people making similar assertions.

Going to be on this date, it's going to be on that date. They're pinpointing projections for the future when it will come. But what do the Scriptures say? What did Jesus say?

Well, in Acts chapter 1, Jesus's early followers were interested in the timing of the Day of the Lord. Two thousand years ago, the early followers of Jesus were not so different from a lot of people today; they wanted to know, "When will this happen?" So they asked Him. Acts chapter 1, verse 6 states, "Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? Will you bring about your kingdom and your reign and the end of all things as we know it?"

Jesus said to His disciples, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has put into His own authority." It's not for you to know. This was consistent; it wasn't just His teaching at that moment in Acts chapter 1, but that was His consistent view going back into Matthew chapter 24.

If you turn to the left about a third of the way through the Bible, you'll find yourself in Matthew's Gospel, specifically Matthew chapter 24. Matthew 24 is probably the largest section of Scripture where Jesus dedicated so much time speaking about the end times and the end of the age. He says this, as recorded in Matthew 24, verse 35: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."

But of that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, but My Father only. Would you highlight, underline, or put a star next to that verse? Verse 36 is such an important thing we need to hold on to. When someone tells you that they've pinpointed the day when it's going to happen, just remember this passage: Matthew 24, verse 36.

"But of that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, but My Father only," says Jesus. "But as in the days of Noah, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the Ark. Everything was business as usual; life was just going about as it normally did until the day that Noah entered the Ark and did not know until the flood came and took them all away. So also will be the coming of the Son of Man."

Will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the Lord is coming. But know this: if the master of the house had known the hour that the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore, you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

I don't know how He could get any more emphatic. You will not know when it's going to be, but you should be ready. Now, at this point, the skeptic might say, "Why would you even believe such a thing?" The reason we would believe such a thing, and the reason that Peter would believe and say such a thing, is that the same person who taught him these things would, just about a week later, be crucified on a Roman cross. Three days after that, He would rise from the dead.

You would assume that He might have some sort of authoritative position, having been the only one to die on a cross, rise from the dead, and then ascend into heaven to say the end will come. This is why Peter believed these things; this is why the church teaches these things. It sounds far out when Elon Musk says it, and it sounds far out when I say it, or when Peter says it. But listen, the reason they believed and taught these things is because Jesus, the one who preached it, was crucified, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. They said, "Well, I think He probably has some authority on these things."

The authoritative teacher on these topics says you will not know the day or the hour. You won't know the specificity of when these things will come to pass, but He did say heaven and earth will pass away. Charles Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, said this: "Though many attempts have been made to form a consistent scheme of prophecy, not one has been even moderately successful. There are in the Word of God many clear testimonies as to distinct events in the future, but these cannot easily be arranged in order so as to harmonize with other events. Neither will the most accurate observer, as I believe, ever make a consistent series of them so as to map them down. They are perfectly consistent, and their order is divine, but we shall need to actually see the fulfillment to make clear the plan. So intricate is the architecture of future history that the architect Himself alone knows where this stone and that stone are to be ordained. Only God alone knows when these things shall come to pass."

He did tell us that the end will one day come. What is the nature of that day? The Lord said the day of the Lord will come suddenly. We won't know all the specifics about when it will come, but what will it be like?

Again, look at what Peter says in Second Peter, chapter 3, verse 10: "The day of the Lord will come in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise. The elements will melt with a fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." In verse 12, it continues, "The heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with a fervent heat."

So here's the forecast: it's going to be hot—really, really hot—and no rain, because that has already happened. He said He is not going to do that again. It will be so hot that the elements will be dissolved, being on fire in this fervent heat.

Now, there is considerable debate among scholars, Bible teachers, and commentators as to whether this event, the day of the Lord, will bring about the total annihilation of the earth and the cosmos, with all things being completely consumed and destroyed. There are books written on either side of this issue because other prophetic passages seem to suggest that things will continue on and that this fire is like a purifying, refining fire that purges all sin and wickedness from the cosmos and the earth.

So, which is it? Will everything be completely destroyed and annihilated, or will everything just be purged and completely purified? As I said, there are different views. In my humble opinion, I tend to side with the view that this will be a purifying fire that comes through, refining and purging out all sin, and that ultimately God will come and renew and make all things new.

However, there are arguments on both sides, and we don't understand all the specifics of the timing. We don't fully comprehend every detail of how it will come to pass, but we do know that Jesus, who died on the cross, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven, said it will come to pass. This is why Peter, Paul, James, John, and all these guys were so passionate about preaching these things and believed them.

I do not understand all the details of this God-ordained cataclysm that will one day come. There are quite a few passages in the Scriptures that speak about it. The prophet Isaiah, in Isaiah chapter 2, verse 12, said that this day will come on everything that is proud and lofty, everything that is exalted against God.

Also, in Isaiah chapter 13 and again in Joel chapter 1, we read that this day will come as destruction from the Almighty. The prophet Joel said again in Joel chapter 2, verse 31, that this is the great and awesome day of the Lord. Malachi, the prophet, said in Malachi 4 that it is called the Great and Dreadful Day of the Lord.

It is also referred to in Scripture as the day of Christ, the day of God, the day of the Lord, the day of judgment, the day of calamity, the day of wrath, the day of His fierce anger, the day of His great slaughter, the day of the Lord's vengeance, the day of doom, and the day of indignation. None of those sound good. They are sobering and frightening, really. The day of doom—these sound more like Hollywood titles than they do scriptural references.

The day of indignation is the great and terrible day that will bring darkness, distress, and wrath from God that He will pour out upon a sinful, fallen world. It's not a good day for the wicked. What shall become of those who have put their faith in Christ? Well, that is such an important question, and I think we should look at the answer.

If you're back in Second Peter, then turn to the left to First Thessalonians. If you're still over in Matthew 24, you can turn to the right. First Thessalonians is right after the books of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.

Now, in First Thessalonians chapter 5, I actually want to read the last words of chapter 4, verse 18. First Thessalonians 4:18, the Apostle Paul says this: "Therefore comfort one another with these words."

But concerning the times and seasons, First Thessalonians 5:1 says, "Brethren, you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord"—there it is—"so comes as a thief in the night." These are the same exact words that Peter spoke. Why did they both say these things? Well, this is what Jesus taught, the one who died on the cross.

Rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. Notice the "they" and "them" versus the "us" and "we" that Paul uses here in this passage. The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night, for when they say, "Peace and safety," then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they shall not escape.

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons and daughters of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.

For God did not appoint us to wrath. Amen, praise God! God did not appoint us to wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, whether we are alive or dead, we should live together with Him. Therefore, comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

Notice that these words are bookended by 1 Thessalonians 4:18, "Comfort one another with these words," and 1 Thessalonians 5:11, "Comfort one another with these words." In the midst of these two words of comfort, he says there will be this day of the Lord that will come as a thief in the night, and it will be sudden destruction upon those who have not put their faith in Christ for righteousness.

But you, who have put your faith in Christ, are not appointed to wrath. How does that work? Well, when Jesus died on the cross, He took upon Himself all sin and absorbed the wrath of God upon sin. So, having put your trust and faith in Him, you will not be appointed to wrath. Though one day wrath will come, there is a day of wrath, a day of reckoning. It will certainly come, and it will come suddenly upon those who are not aware, not watching.

But you are not of the night; you are of the day. You are awake; you have been enlightened by the Spirit of God, the Spirit of grace. Therefore, you are aware that these things will one day come, and they will not overtake you as a thief.

We are the children of the light. Notice the "therefore" in the middle of these words. In 1 Thessalonians 5:6, we know that the day of the Lord will come; it will come as a thief upon those who are not ready. But you, who have put your faith in Christ Jesus, obtain salvation; it will not come upon you. Therefore, because of this, 1 Thessalonians 5:6 says, "Let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober."

Because we know this, it should have an effect; it should have a transforming effect in our lives. Look back again at 2 Peter. In chapter 3, verse 11, the same word opens verse 11: "Therefore, the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise," as verse 10 states. "The elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in them will be burned up."

Therefore, in verse 11, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness? Point number two on your outline: our knowledge of the future should alter our present behavior. The J.B. Phillips translation of verse 11 states, "In view of the fact that all these things will be dissolved, what sort of people ought we to be? Surely men of good and holy character who are expecting and earnestly longing for the coming day of God."

This was the teaching of the Apostle Paul: be ready, be waiting for the coming day of God, and live a life that is marked with sobriety, righteousness, and godliness. Peter says the very same thing: live a life that is marked with sobriety. Where did they get this? Well, again, going back to the one who died on the cross, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven.

In Matthew 24:42, Jesus said, "Watch therefore, for you do not know the hour that your Lord is coming." Again, in verse 44 of Matthew 24, He states, "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect." Then, in the next chapter, Matthew 25:13 says, "Watch therefore, for you neither know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

Coming, He says, "Watch! Be ready! Be actively engaged in the work that I have commissioned you to do. Be awake; be circumspect." The wise follower of Jesus is a vigilant servant. The Lord will return, and when He comes, He will pour out wrath upon a fallen and sinful world.

As Peter continues in 2 Peter 3:13, "Nevertheless, we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."

Point number three: Christians look forward to the end of all things. Now, this is kind of a touchy point, and I actually went back and forth on it quite a bit this week because it needs to be parsed a little bit and worked through. What we should never look forward to with excitement and anticipation is the day of wrath. Even the Old Testament prophets said, "Woe to him who looks forward to the day of wrath." That's not something we should anticipate; nobody should be excited about the coming day of God's wrath.

However, what comes on the other side of the day of wrath, when God's purifying, refining fire purges all sin from the face of the earth, is that which we look forward to. What comes after these things, according to His promise? A new heaven and a new earth. When He purifies and revives this place, there is going to be something new that He will make. He makes all things new.

Whether it's a completely new creation or a renewed creation after He purges all sin, whatever the case, it is new. What exactly does this new heavens and earth look like? What is it like? Well, turn to the book of Revelation. I know so many...

People are always excited about the Book of Revelation. Well, we're finally going there—next to last chapter, Revelation 21.

The Book of Revelation is a vision, a revelation that the Apostle John had of what is coming in the future. He writes in Revelation 21, verse 1: "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth," the same thing that Peter has been speaking about. "For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also, there was no more sea."

Then I, John, saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be their God." God is going to dwell in the midst of His people, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.

No death, no pain, no sorrow, no illness. I don't know about you, but that sounds really, really good. He said to me, "He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' He said to me, 'Write these things, for the words are true and faithful.' He said to me, 'It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give the fountain of water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.'"

I make all things new. That's what we look forward to. That's what we look forward to when the purging fire of God purges all sin from the face of this cosmos and everything that has come as a result of sin: death, sickness, suffering, sorrow, and pain—all because of sin. Sin will be purged. The Scriptures teach this. This is what the Risen Jesus says: all of that will be purged by fire.

What will come after that? When sin is gone, God can dwell with His people, and He will wipe away all tears. There will be no more sorrow, no more pain, no more death, no more suffering. I long for this.

Because I see the same news that you do, when we see children getting shot at school, when we see people being bombed in Syria, or when we see people being beheaded in northern Iraq, there is a part in every single one of us that says that needs to stop. We long for the day when that stops. The Bible proclaims there will be a day when that will be no more. Therefore, we have an optimistic vision of the future that comes after this purging fire.

Point number four: God has promised a glorious future. That is the promise we have. God has promised a glorious future. Therefore, because of this, in 2 Peter 3:14, it says, "Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless." Because of the great promise of God of a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells, sin has been removed, and there is no more pain, no more sorrow, and no more suffering and death. Because of this, He says to be diligent to be found by the Lord in peace, without spot and blameless.

The New International Version says, "So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with Him." Make every effort. Now, Peter uses this phrase "make every effort" four times in this short letter. The first time we see it is in 2 Peter 1:10: "Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent; make every effort to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things, you will never stumble."

Then, in 2 Peter 1:15, he says, "Moreover, I will make every effort; I will be even more diligent; I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my death." So, make every effort. Now he says it again here: "Make every effort to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless." What does it mean to make every effort?

I regularly go to the gym, and this last week, I was running on the treadmill. Right in front of the treadmill I was using was a weightlifting machine, specifically a pull-up assist machine. Has anyone ever seen a pull-up assist machine? You set the weight, stand on a bar, and do your pull-ups. The weight you set reduces your weight, making it easier to perform pull-ups.

As I was running, a person came in and started using the pull-up assist machine. They were going all out on the pull-ups. I noticed they had set the weight to about one hundred fifty pounds, and they could not have weighed more than one hundred seventy pounds. They could do pull-ups all day long, and from a distance, it might look like they were really impressive in the pull-up category. However, in reality, they were not making every effort.

You may have seen something similar a few years ago while flipping through TV channels late at night. You might have come across an infomercial for the ab belt. Does anyone remember the ab belt? I’m sure someone here bought one. What was the tagline? "You want firm and toned abs but don't have the time to work out?" Everyone would respond, "Yeah, just get the ab belt!"

What was it? You just put it on and push a button, and it would shock you. You wouldn't have to work out, and you'd get firm abs. Then they would show pictures of someone like Atlas, ripped and using the ab belt right after doing a four-hour workout, while they hand him a check for a whole bunch of money. But the ab belt is not making every effort. You don't have time to work out, so you just put on the ab belt for five easy payments of twenty-nine ninety-five or something like that.

It makes sense to me. How do we make every effort? Let's turn to the first chapter of Second Peter. If you are in Second Peter chapter 3, look at Second Peter chapter 1, verse 5. He says, "But also for this very reason, giving all..."

Diligence is emphasized again. We are instructed to make every effort to add to our faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who lacks these things is short-sighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent—there it is again—to make your call and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. Notice this: for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We are encouraged to make every effort to add to our faith knowledge, and to our knowledge self-control, and to self-control perseverance, and to perseverance godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. The Apostle Paul, in First Timothy chapter 4, writing to a younger man in the faith, says, "Listen, Timothy, exercise yourself in godliness." This is exactly what Peter is saying here: exercise yourself in godliness.

Bodily exercise profits little; it is of little value. However, godliness is profitable for all things, having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. What Paul is saying is that bodily exercise is good for this world, but it won't carry over into eternity. This body will not last forever, but if you exercise yourself toward godliness, it will have rewards in this life and in the life to come.

So, add to your faith virtue, to your virtue knowledge, to your knowledge self-control, to your self-control perseverance, to your perseverance godliness, to your godliness brotherly kindness, and to your brotherly kindness love. Be even more diligent to do these things.

Point number five on your outline: God's glorious promise should prompt our diligent pursuit of godliness. God's glorious promise should prompt our diligent pursuit of godliness. Peter continues in Second Peter chapter 3, verse...

Consider that the long-suffering or the patience of our Lord is salvation. Earlier in this chapter, the critic, the skeptic, the mocker, and the scoffer say, "Where is the sign of His coming? I thought you said Jesus was coming back. He hasn't come back. How come He's delaying? How come He's taking so long?"

The Lord delays because He is gracious. We saw in verse 9 of 2nd Peter, chapter 3, that He is not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance. Why has Jesus not returned yet? Because He does not delight in the death of the wicked; He does not want to see people destroyed. In 2nd Timothy, chapter 2, Paul tells Timothy that we are to pray for all men that they would come to faith because God desires that all would be saved. God's desire is not that anyone would see His wrath, judgment, and punishment because Jesus took the punishing wrath of God on the cross. He desires that we would be able to share the good news of the gospel with those people so that they would turn to the Lord in repentance.

Understand that God's long-suffering and His patience are because He wants to save more people. Peter says to consider that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation. As also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you in all of his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand. Untaught and unstable people twist these to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

One quick sideline here: Peter, the Apostle and writer of this letter, in about the year 66 AD, indicates that the Apostle Paul and the church regarded the letters of the Apostle Paul as Scripture. He says right there, "even as Paul has written to you in his letters."

In verse 16 and verse 17, he continues, "You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked."

Wickedness should not define us; instead, we should grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be glory forever. Amen.

What should we be doing? We should be exercising ourselves in godliness, growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be glory forever.

Would you stand with me as we close in prayer?

Father God, I thank You for Your Word. It's challenging, as we are dealing with subjects that are not things we like to think about or ponder, such as the coming day of wrath. But, Lord, I thank You that You have not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation through Your Son, Jesus. We thank You that You, on the cross two thousand years ago, took our sin, our transgression, and our iniquity. You were the one who absorbed wrath for us so that we might receive grace and righteousness.

Lord, I pray that the message of grace would so impact our lives that we would not be able to hold it back. Instead, we would be compelled to give it out freely. We have received freely, and we should freely give.

Lord, may we be watching and waiting, ready for the day when You will come and call us home. Until then, would You give us the same passion that You have, the same desire to see people come to the knowledge of the truth and to come to repentance? May we not desire that any would perish.

As we stand here this morning, it may be that you recognize for the first time that you are not ready for that day of the Lord, but you would like to be ready. As I have said several times, Jesus absorbed all of God's wrath in Himself on the cross two thousand years ago. He died for our sin and rose again for our justification; that is, He rose from the dead to make us righteous before a holy God. If you want to receive His grace...

Forgiveness is essential to be ready for the day when He returns or even just to be prepared for the day with you. This life is fleeting.

I want to give you an opportunity this morning to receive the grace of God. If that's you, would you lift up your hand high so I can see it? Anyone here this morning? God bless you in the middle. Anyone else? Right here in the front, God bless you. If you want to receive God's grace and forgiveness, I see you there in the back.

If that's you this morning, just where you're at, pray out loud with me:

"Dear Jesus, I recognize that I am a sinner. I realize that I need Your grace. I pray that You'd come into my life, forgive me of my sin, and help me to follow You by faith until I see You one day."

In Jesus' name, praise the Lord.